Scuffle video from Bengal shared as attack on BJP poll campaigners in Morbi, Gujarat

by Kinjal

The video of a group of people stopping an e-rickshaw with BJP flags attached to it and assaulting the occupants is viral on social media. It has been linked to the campaign for the upcoming assembly elections in Gujarat.

Twitter user ‘@Polytikles’ tweeted the video and wrote that this is how the BJP was welcomed in Gujarat. The tweet has been viewed almost 18,000 times and garnered 254 retweets at the time of the writing of this aeticle. (Archived link)

Another Twitter user named Manoj, a self-proclaimed ‘fan’ of Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, tweeted the clip and wrote that BJP supporters campaigning for the party in Gujarat’s Morbi were beaten up. It is worth noting that at least 135 people recently died due to the collapse of a hanging bridge on the Machchu river in Morbi, Gujarat. (Archived link)

There were others too who described it as a video from Morbi. The same claim was made on Facebook and Twitter by many users.

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Fact-check

The people seen in the video are speaking in Bangla. Using this as a clue, Alt News performed a keyword search on YouTube. This led us to a Times Now report dated August 6, 2022, which contains scenes from the viral video. According to this report, a scuffle broke out between Trinamool Congress and BJP workers on August 5 in West Bengal’s Hooghly district. TMC MLA Asit Mazumdar alleged that BJP supporters stopped his vehicle and attacked him. Meanwhile, BJP workers claimed that Asit Mazumdar attacked them during his rally.

ETV India also covered this incident. According to the report, following the clash, police were deployed at the Khadina area in which there was a dispute between the workers of the two parties.

To sum it up, a video of a clash between BJP and Trinamool Congress workers in West Bengal was falsely circulated as locals attacking BJP workers in Gujarat’s Morbi as they were campaigning for the upcoming elections. 

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About the Author

Kinjal Parmar holds a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology. However, her keen interest in journalism, drove her to pursue journalism from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication. At Alt News since 2019, she focuses on authentication of information which includes visual verification, media misreports, examining mis/disinformation across social media. She is the lead video producer at Alt News and manages social media accounts for the organization.